Artist Ryan L. Foote works in an appealing medium – chocolate. His creations are inspired by architecture and the natural world, particularly natural minerals and geological formations, and they look almost too pretty to eat. Not eating them, however, would be to miss out on some fantastic flavors. For the last three years, Foote has been living in Melbourne and Hong Kong, traveling back and forth for different projects. His chocolates are flavored with unusual ingredients from around both regions, such as Australian botanicals and traditional Hong Kong flavors.

For example, the Australian collection contains flavors such as White Chocolate and Wattleseed, Lemon Myrtle and Macadamia Nut, Chocolate and Mountain Pepperberry and Avocado Smash. The Hong Kong collection features flavors like Egg Tart, Buttery Pineapple Bun, Red Bean Ganache and Salted Coconut.

Foote’s creations are made using 3D printing, allowing him to create fascinating, intricate shapes. He combines 3D printing with traditional chocolatier techniques for his eye-catching designs.

“For the last few years I have been working on reinventing the traditional soft centered chocolate for the digital age,” said Foote. “There have been some exciting things happening in the bean-to-bar space but I felt the traditional bon bon has remained more or less the same.”

Foote’s career has taken him to all corners of the art world, including design, food and beverage, theatre, and events. He received a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Sculpture and Spatial Practices at the Victorian College of the Arts. He then went on to produce numerous exhibitions and installations both in Australia and overseas, while at the same time designing and producing runway sets for various fashion festivals and brands including Mercedes Australian Fashion, L’Oréal Melbourne Fashion Festival, Rosemount Australian Fashion Week, Sydney Shanghai Fashion Week and more.

Foote eventually began experimenting with adding food to his installations, in addition to experimenting with sound, light and fashion. He at first partnered with chefs and culinary firms before beginning to make his own culinary art, which included 3D printed food and handmade flatware. He eventually started to focus on chocolate, producing updated versions of the traditional bon bon. He also received many requests for his porcelain plates, so he started R L Foote Design Studio to focus on high-end designer ceramics.

In 2018, he formed his chocolate company, and recently launched a Kickstarter campaign that is trying to raise AUS $10,000 by November 17th. Rewards for backers include drinking chocolate as well as bon bons, in addition to some ceramic tableware like a 3D printed cup that was inspired by one of Foote’s chocolate shapes.

3D printing has opened up new possibilities for beautiful chocolate art. All of the artistic presentation in the world, however, is rendered meaningless if the chocolate itself doesn’t taste good, so that’s always the biggest question. Foote has obviously put forth a great deal of effort to discover and utilize some highly exotic flavors, and while some of them might be risky, it’s a risk that several people are willing to take, as the Kickstarter campaign has already acquired more than two dozen backers.

If you try any of these chocolates, let us know how they are!Discuss this and other 3D printing topics at 3DPrintBoard.com or share your thoughts below.